Be it fashion sense, Twitter wit, 'Delving Deep' radio segments or vegan diet, Foster strives to be known as more than a great back

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (23) warms up before the start of an NFL football game at Reliant Stadium, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle )

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (23) warms up before the start of an NFL football game at Reliant Stadium, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle )

Photo: Karen Warren, Staff

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Arian Foster refuses to live life defined merely by the description "football player."

Arian Foster refuses to live life defined merely by the description "football player."

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

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Texans running back Arian Foster (23) realizes his on-field success fuels in great part the notoriety he receives for the wide-ranging facets of his off-field personality.

Texans running back Arian Foster (23) realizes his on-field success fuels in great part the notoriety he receives for the wide-ranging facets of his off-field personality.

Photo: Karen Warren, Staff

Foster strives to be known as more than a running back

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Since Arian Foster considers himself, among other things, to be a dedicated follower of football fashion, his flights of fancy can throw some unexpected twists into the Texans' orderly, structured routine.

Foster, for example, announced at midweek it was he who lobbied for the Texans to wear all-blue uniforms during their wild-card game against Cincinnati and that he would push for an all-white ensemble during Sunday's game with the New England Patriots.

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Texans running back Arian Foster is working his way up the NFL record book for postseason rushing and total yards:

CONSECUTIVE GAMES, 100+ RUSHING YARDS

Player Team Games Postseasons

Terrell Davis Denver Broncos 7 1997-98

John Riggins Washington Redskins 6 1982-83

Thurman Thomas Buffalo Bills 4 1990-91

Arian Foster Texans 3 2011-12

Emmitt Smith Dallas Cowboys 3 1992

Franco Harris Pittsburgh Steelers 3 1974-75

Marcus Allen L.A. Raiders 3 1983

Larry Csonka Miami Dolphins 3 1973-74

MOST RUSHING YARDS PER GAME

Player Team G Att. Yds. Avg. Long TD YPG

Terrell Davis Broncos 8 204 1,140 5.6 62 12 142.5

Arian Foster Texans 3 83 425 5.1 42t 4 141.7

Timmy Smith Redskins 3 51 342 6.7 58t 2 114.0

John Riggins Redskins 9 251 996 4.0 43t 12 110.7

Eric Dickerson L.A. Rams 7 148 724 4.9 65 3 103.4

MOST SCRIMMAGE YARDS PER GAME

Player Team G Rush-Yds. Rec. Yds. Total YPG

Arian Foster Texans 3 83-425 16-85 170.0

Terrell Davis Broncos 8 204-1,140 19-131 158.9

Merril Hoge Steelers 3 39-247 14-129 125.3

Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals 6 0-0 42-705 117.5

Marcus Allen L.A. Raiders 16 267-1,347 53-530 117.3

After the laughter subsided, Kubiak said, "I just want him to play halfback."

Indeed, it's a position Foster plays well - sometimes spectacularly - amid all his goings-on in other venues.

In the first year of the five-year, $43.5- million contract he signed before the 2012 season, he ran for 1,424 yards and scored 17 touchdowns to earn a third consecutive Pro Bowl berth. With 140 yards in the wild-card victory over the Bengals, he became the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 100 yards in his first three playoff games.

But what's the fun in that alone?

What of the ever-changing Twitter avatars and the Segways and bow ties and wry, philosophical comments (one recent highlight: "I want to hear Lou Holtz read a Shakespeare sonnet. Or just say Shakespeare sonnet"), not to mention his apparent dead-on ability to mimic Louis Armstrong singing "What a Wonderful World"?

All those things have been a part of Foster's 2012-13 season as he pursues his goal, as he described it last week, of "Greatness … being the best me I can be."

But the cold truth is that none of his public pronouncements or gestures will matter as much to as many people unless he keeps pursuing his on-field career with the same considerable degree of success Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

Thus far, though, he has lived up to the hype that came on the heels of his tearful news conference last March to announce his new contract with the Texans.

"He's a real pro," Kubiak said. "First off, the thing that helps players really take their game to the next level in my opinion is when they don't have to work so darn hard on game plans because they know things.

"He's very smart. You could walk in with 40 new runs and 100 new passes. It'd take Arian about an hour to sit there in a meeting and study it and he could go right out. It's no problem. His talents take over all the time because he is such a smart player. He's a three-down player. He never has to leave the field, and you can't say that for a lot of backs."

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Foster also has continued to display his affinity for gestures, words and actions that seize the public imagination.

One of the first things that pops up in an Internet search for Foster (even preceding his much-ballyhooed adaptation of a vegan diet) is his use of a pullout quote from a Boston Globe columnist denigrating the Texans' chances Sunday as his Twitter avatar (by week's end, he had changed to a photo, presumably a photoshop job, of a diminutive sumo wrestler trying to displace a larger, Vince Wilfork-sized opponent).

Not too far down the list was his decision, during the Texans' regular-season loss to the Colts at Indianapolis, to pat the "Chuckstrong" banner hung in honor of Colts coach Chuck Pagano, who missed most of the season while being treated for leukemia.

His weekly radio show on KILT (610 AM) has developed something of a cult following for its "Delving Deep" segments, which focus on such topics as the Aristotelian quandaries of dairy expiration dates, the nature of time and space and Rock/Paper/Scissors strategies.

"He's a great personality to have around here," said offensive lineman Duane Brown. "He's a guy who always has a great joke for you, always brings great conversations. We've had some deep talks about life and a lot of stuff. He definitely thinks outside of the box."

Football chess

Foster's actions, whether they be the Chuckstrong sign tribute, the Twitter avatar maneuverings or his adaptation of bow ties and Segways, reflect a degree of study that matches his playing style.

"It's almost like a chess move," Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison said. "He knows a couple moves ahead when a guy is coming so he doesn't take a solid shot. … He understands everything we put him in; that's why he's on the field all the time."

Foster's off-field personality prompted NFL Films in 2011 to stage a conversation with Spencer Tillman, the Schopenhauer-quoting former NFL running back who lives in suburban Houston and works for CBS Sports.

Tillman enjoys dealing with and observing Foster and believes some of his off-field proclamations are an effort to establish a profile that will outlast the short-lived career of an NFL running back.

"He wants to be regarded as more than a football player, ultimately," Tillman said. "He relishes basking in that mindset and talking about things that lead to success in life beyond the field and on the field as well. He would rather stay in that place than talk about football."

But he said Foster's attitude also is formed by Winston Churchill's truism that "the greatest threat to future achievement is your last greatest accomplishment."

In that vein, Foster was noticeably dismissive last week when discussing expectations for himself and the Texans in their underdog role against the Patriots.

"I don't know what an underdog means," he said. "We're not supposed to score more points than (New England)? It's all stories, man."

Going hand in hand

Tillman also believes Foster is aware of the fact that the interest in his off-field activities, for now, is driven in large part by his success on the field.

"That's why he can be dismissive sometimes," Tillman said. " 'If I couldn't do this, you guys wouldn't care what I think.' He has a little bit of that."

And so, even as Foster talks about pursuing greatness, he won't gauge where he stands or how far he has come in pursuit of that quest.

"As far as my play on the field, I think I had an OK season. There's always things you can improve upon," he said. "As far as off the field, I guess I don't really have any expectations.

"I'm not done yet, so I could assess my career when I'm finished. Until then, I'm just going to continue to push."